Mario Balotelli has to date shown Manchester City fans a few glimpses of just why the Eastlands outfit decided to spend £24 million on him, but he has so far been in the headlines for rumours surrounding him off the pitch, rather than for his performances on it.
With speculation refusing to die down that Balotelli is only using Manchester City as a learning curve before he returns to Italy, with the best odds suggesting he might be lined up to play for AC Milan, the player has done little to quash these rumours. As City currently appear to need unity and devotion to the cause more than anything else, this kind of attitude is hardly likely to endear Balotelli to either his team mates or trophy-hungry fans of the club.
This situation has been made worse by the fact that Balotelli was seen shivering and giving a half-hearted performance against a Stoke side which embody all the characteristics that Manchester City are trying to develop. Even though Manchester City may have failed to walk away from that encounter with all three points, they can be hopeful that these dropped points can be compensated for in the long term if players such as Balotelli learn from the experience of playing against a side which contains players clearly prepared to do anything for the team's cause.
With the season starting to reach that crucial festive period, and City just about in the hunt for the title, now is the time for Manchester City and Balotelli in particular to start making the headlines for their performances on the pitch, rather than what may or may not be going on away from the field of play.
If Manchester City are to pull off a shock and win the title this season (and you can get some decent prices on that happening if you compare odds carefully), then they are going to need to start showing a sense of mature team unity sooner rather than later.
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